Louis Armstrong New Orleans International to Chicago Midway International MSY → MDW
718 nautical miles (827 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 009°, about 010° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 50 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 3-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:44 am CDT (07:44 UTC), after sunset at the destination. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 2,004 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from MSY.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- A319 at 39,000 ft, 34 nm west, 6:11 pm CDT (23:11 UTC): no chop turbulence, remarks: smooth. 299 nm along the route, 34 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
MEM UA /OV MEM/TM 2311/FL390/TP A319/TB NEG CHOP/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through MEM
- Where
- over MEM
- Time
- 23:11 UTC
- Height
- at 39,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A319
- Turbulence
- no chop
- Remarks
- smooth
- BCS3 at 35,000 ft, 13 nm west, 7:13 pm CDT (00:13 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: ZME33. 369 nm along the route, 13 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
DYR UA /OV DYR/TM 0013/FL350/TP BCS3/TB NEG/RM ZME33
- Report
- a routine report filed through DYR
- Where
- over DYR
- Time
- 00:13 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BCS3
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- ZME33
- B38M at 25,000 ft, 32 nm east, 7:12 pm CDT (00:12 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZME26. 369 nm along the route, 32 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
MKL UA /OV MKL045035/TM 0012/FL250/TP B38M/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZME26
- Report
- a routine report filed through MKL
- Where
- 35 nm northeast (045°) of MKL
- Time
- 00:12 UTC
- Height
- at 25,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- ZME26
- B737 at 31,000 ft, 3 nm north, 7:13 pm CDT (00:13 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZME25. 439 nm along the route, 3 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
PAH UA /OV CNG360015/TM 0013/FL310/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZME25
- Report
- a routine report filed through PAH
- Where
- 15 nm north (360°) of CNG
- Time
- 00:13 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- ZME25
- B38M at 23,700 ft, 48 nm east, 6:51 pm CDT (23:51 UTC): light turbulence. 559 nm along the route, 48 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
IND UA /OV TTH190030/TM 2351/FL237/TP B38M/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through IND
- Where
- 30 nm south (190°) of TTH
- Time
- 23:51 UTC
- Height
- at 23,700 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- light
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 12 nm southeast, 7:29 pm CDT (00:29 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: smooth. At the destination end, 12 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
IKK UA /OV CGT/TM 0029/FL350/TP B39M/TB NEG/RM SMOOTH
- Report
- a routine report filed through IKK
- Where
- over CGT
- Time
- 00:29 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- none
- Remarks
- smooth
- CRJ7 at 17,000 ft, 39 nm northeast, 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 39 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
BEH UA /OV ELX270040/TM 0004/FL170/TP CRJ7/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through BEH
- Where
- 40 nm west (270°) of ELX
- Time
- 00:04 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Turbulence
- none
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 7 forecast points nearest it (MSY, JAN, MEM, CGI, EVV, SPI, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 260° at 8 kt | −3 kt | 123 kt | 5 h 50 min | 2:44 am CDT (07:44 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 290° at 11 kt | +2 kt | 118 kt | 6 h 05 min | 2:59 am CDT (07:59 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 290° at 14 kt | +3 kt | 14 °C | 117 kt | 6 h 08 min | 3:02 am CDT (08:02 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 290° at 17 kt | +3 kt | 10 °C | 117 kt | 6 h 08 min | 3:02 am CDT (08:02 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 300° at 20 kt | +6 kt | 6 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 18 min | 3:12 am CDT (08:12 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 21 kt | +9 kt | 2 °C | 111 kt | 6 h 28 min | 3:22 am CDT (08:22 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 310° at 21 kt | +11 kt | -2 °C | 109 kt | 6 h 35 min | 3:29 am CDT (08:29 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 22 kt | +13 kt | -6 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 43 min | 3:37 am CDT (08:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 22 kt | +13 kt | -7 °C | 107 kt | 6 h 43 min | 3:37 am CDT (08:37 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 330° at 29 kt | +21 kt | -18 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 15 min | 4:09 am CDT (09:09 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 49 kt | +33 kt | -33 °C | 87 kt | 8 h 15 min | 5:09 am CDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 330° at 56 kt | +40 kt | -42 °C | 80 kt | 8 h 58 min | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 52 kt | +35 kt | -50 °C | 85 kt | 8 h 27 min | 5:21 am CDT (10:21 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSY | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | L/V | 020/6 18° | L/V 12° | 300/11 7° | 330/15 -4° | 320/22 -16° | 330/38 -32° | 350/47 -42° | 340/56 -52° |
| JAN | used from 50 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 260/6 | 310/14 17° | 280/13 12° | 290/19 6° | 310/22 -5° | 310/28 -17° | 320/44 -32° | 330/48 -41° | 320/52 -51° |
| MEM | used from 200 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 240/9 | 280/14 17° | 280/20 12° | 290/25 5° | 320/25 -6° | 330/31 -18° | 320/52 -32° | 330/58 -41° | 320/42 -50° |
| CGI | used from 349 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 250/10 | 290/12 17° | 290/18 11° | 300/22 5° | 320/25 -8° | 330/30 -18° | 320/53 -33° | 320/66 -42° | 320/56 -50° |
| EVV | used from 499 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 310/13 | 340/26 16° | 330/29 10° | 330/32 4° | 330/30 -9° | 340/38 -20° | 330/60 -35° | 320/57 -41° | 330/39 -48° |
| SPI | used from 549 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 210/13 | 260/11 17° | 270/18 10° | 290/21 4° | 310/20 -8° | 330/25 -19° | 320/49 -34° | 320/60 -44° | 320/59 -50° |
| JOT | used from 649 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSY New Orleans, LA | departure | no report just now | 3 ft | ||||
| HDC Hammond, LA | 30 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 46 ft | ||||
| JAN Jackson, MS | 140 nm out, 13 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 346 ft | ||||
| GWO Greenwood, MS | 210 nm out, 25 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 162 ft | ||||
| UOX Oxford, MS | 269 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | no report just now | 452 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | 339 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 434 ft | ||||
| PAH Paducah, KY | 429 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 410 ft | ||||
| MWA Marion, IL | 469 nm out, 15 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 471 ft | ||||
| FOA Flora, IL | 529 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 472 ft | ||||
| CMI Champaign/Urbana, IL | 609 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 754 ft | ||||
| IKK Kankakee, IL | 678 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 629 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 754 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:44 am CDT (07:44 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at MSY 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International, Chicago Midway International.